A world-class decathlon athlete, Woody attended UCLA to play in major college programs and later the National Football League.

During World War II, he enlisted and spent the war unloading bombs in Guam.

Getting into acting, Woody first appeared in John Ford's Stagecoach in 1939. His 6' 4'' powerful frame kept him from stereotypical roles at that time in film history. His acting career continued in 92 movies and TV episodes, ending with The Quick and the Dead in 1995.

Notable movies Woody appeared in are: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (with John Wayne & James Steward), Sergeant Rutledge (in the title role), The Ten Commandments (playing two roles), Pork Chop Hill (starring Gregory Peck), and Once Upon a Time in the West (in the famous opening).

My favorite Woody Strode movie is The Last Voyage. He is the heroic crewman who stays aboard the sinking luxury liner to help the passengers. He plays the entire movie with his shirt off because he comes directly from the hot engine room and the movie plays in real time. His physique is enhanced by the neckerchief he wears. (See above photo) I wonder if that was Woody's idea or the costume designer's.

I had the pleasure of meeting Woody and his wife. He was very gracious and appreciated his success in the movies. I talked to him about filming The Last Voyage on a real ship that was partially sunk for the exciting finale.

When I mentioned Spartacus, Woody jumped up from his chair and got into his gladiator stance and said, "Because I was much taller than Kirk, I had to use a low stance like this."

"That stance showed off your thighs," I said seriously. "They were beautiful." (Echoing the Roman woman in the movie that said, "He's the most beautiful.") Woody and his wife gave me a big smile. Later in his auto-biography, I read that he likes guys to compliment his physique and athletic prowess.

Woody always signed his Spartacus photos by inscribing:

I let Spartacus live - Woody Strode

You can get Woody's autobiography Goal Dust in paper or Kindle at amazon: http://goo.gl/AdYNvE 

Forbidden Power wins 38 first-place international awards, including:

2018 - Best Picture out of 1,000 entries at the BITB International Hollywood Film Festival. 

2019 - Best Science Fiction Film - Oklahama BB Film Festival. -

2019 - Best Thriller - London Flicks Festival -

2019 - Best Original Screenplay - Florence Film Awards Italy.

2019 - Best Feature Film - New York Cinematography Awards -

2020 - Best Original Screenplay - New York Movie Awards -

After a one-night affair with a mysterious woman, a young man wakes up alone with sexually transmitted powers.